We All Wear Masks
by thomthom830
Summary: Everyone wears a mask, but some people wear them better, or more convincingly, than others. All the folks from the Red Band Society at Ocean Park are here. Plus, we have a new addition to the mix who brings with her some stories and experiences of her own. Please let me know what you think!


Chapter One

"Oh, geez, he's just a little girl, Tammy," Nurse Dena Jackson said to another younger nurse who was sniffling at the nurse's station.

"She told me that my highlights were bad and that my lipstick was ugly," the nurse sniffled. Her lip quivered and a tear escaped down her cheek.

"Listen," Dena said as she exchanged a look with Kenji. "She's a seventeen year old girl. You have to suck it up and pull it together." She helped Tammy to her feet and steered her in the direction of the bathroom so she could get cleaned up. Once she was out of sight, Dena shared a look with Kenji and they both started to laugh.

"Her lipstick is kinda bad," Kenji admitted to Dena and they continued to laugh.

Another voice joined the laughter and both of them stopped and turned to see who had joined them.

"I _must_ be seeing things," Dena smiled.

"Nah, it's all me," the woman replied.

"Get over here!" Dena held out her arms and the tall, slender woman dashed into them. They squeeze each other for several beats.

Once she was released by Dena, she was pulled into Kenji's arms. Once that was completed, she settled in for the impending interrogation.

"So…what are you doing here? Not that I mind," Dena asked.

The woman was Doctor Natalie Evans. She was a pediatrician who had left California for Chicago eight months ago.

"I am on a much-needed vacation," Natalie told them. "I decided to come out here and visit my favorite people."

"You are so full of bull…" Dena laughed.

Nat smiled. "I really _am_ on vacation. And you _are_ my favorite people. The folks in Chicago are fine, but Ocean Park is my home."

"I _do_ love to hear that," Dena smiled.

Dash, Leo and Jordi moved through the lobby area and looked at the woman. They couldn't help but look at her.

"Doctor Evans!" Leo made his way to her when he realized who it was.

"Leo! It's so good to see you!" she hugged him. "And Dash!" she smiled before she hugged him.

"Gentlemen, you have class in five minutes," Nurse Jackson told them.

They stared for a brief second more and nodded.

"We'll all catch up later," Nat smiled.

They all smiled and headed for their classroom.

"So, how long are you in town?" Kenji asked. "We have got to go out…"

"I'm here for at least a week. It's sort of…undetermined…"

"Nat?"

She smiled when the voice hit her ears. Natalie turned and her whole face was lit up in a mega-watt smile.

"Adam!" she smiled and squealed as she rushed to him.

Doctor Adam McAndrew pulled Natalie close and held her.

"It is so good to see you," he said into her ear.

He'd been dealing with a lot lately. And _all_ of it had been caused by him. Adam had been dealing with Erin coming back from Africa and flirting, but not flirting, and then they were fighting. Charlie was awake, but still couldn't speak. And then of course he'd drunkenly slept with Brittany. Then she socked him in the eye.

Natalie simply being there made him feel better.

When he released here from his embrace Nat got a good look and the purple bruise that was still visible around his eye. She reached out to touch it gently.

"You have some explaining to do…"

"Let's go grab some coffee," he suggested. "Please page me when those labs come back," he asked Kenji.

"You got it," Kenji smiled.

Adam and Natalie headed out of the pediatric wing while Brittany walked in. She eyed them warily and moved to the nurse's station.

"Who was that?" Brittany asked.

"A friend of Doctor McAndrew's," Kenji explained.

Brittany said nothing.

"Friends of his just keep showing up," Brittany then mumbled before walking off.

…

Outside in the sunshine, Adam paid the coffee cart guy and turned around to hand a cup to Nat.

"Thank you," she said as she accepted the cup.

"How long do we have you out here?" Adam asked.

Nat smiled. "I'm happy to see you're still ignoring things."

Adam shook his head. "What are you talking about?"

"I'm referring to the shiner you got there, Doctor McAndrew. You slept with the red headed nurse, didn't you?"

"You've been here thirty seconds and you have me figured out?"

She laughed. "I just know you, Adam. And I saw the side-eye she was giving you as we walked out."

"She hates me," Adam replied.

"Do you like her?"

"As a friend. We got drunk and…I…I didn't handle the situation well the next morning."

"Shocker."

"That's a bit harsh."

Natalie rolled her eyes in his direction.

"You're just going to show up and mock me? What are you doing here anyway? Doesn't the ER in Chicago need you?"

Natalie ignored him and looked up into the blue sky.

"Earth to Natalie…"

"I'm on…a leave of absence."

"By choice, or by…not choice."

She rolled her eyes again. "Do you really think I left my job because I felt like it?"

"No."

"I'm on suspension, Adam."

Adam nearly choked on his coffee. "What?"

"The administration knew the only way I would take time off was if they forced me into it."

"And why did you _have_ to take time off?" Adam asked. "Seriously, Nat, just tell me." He put his hand on her side and she jumped like it was on fire.

"Nat?"

She took his hand and pulled him around to an empty corner. Nat lifted up her shirt on her side where he'd just touched her. She revealed to small areas of stitches.

"What happened?" he asked, his voice full of concern.

"I was stabbed," Nat said in reply.

"What?"

"Will you quit asking that?"

"I need to know what happened, Natalie Elizabeth."

"Okay, but you have to quit freaking out. I'm fine."

Adam took a deep breath and prepared for Natalie to tell him the story. They moved to a bench and took a seat.

"It was a few weeks ago. A bipolar patient got me a couple of times with a scalpel that was in the room."

"Do you have any more wounds you'd like to tell me about?"

"Got me twice on my left side and a couple superficial lacs on my back. She tried to get my ribs…"

"How deep were the ones on your side?"

"Uh, I, uh, had a collapsed lung."

"Holy shit."

"The last wound still had the scalpel sticking out of it when they found me."

"Holy…damn, Natalie."

He pulled Nat to him and held her. "Why didn't you call me?"

"And say what, exactly?"

"_I just got stabbed, come take care of me,"_ he told her. "Is Eric joining you out here?"

She laughed. But Adam knew it wasn't his best friend's real laugh.

"Why are you laughing?"

"Eric broke up with me two days after the incident," Nat told him. "I was still in the hospital bed, actually."

"Oh, man. That sucks," Adam told her. "I never liked that guy anyway."

"That's a lie."

"Where are you staying while you here? And how long are you here?"

"A week, at least. Maybe more," Nat told him. "And I'm at the Palms."

"You should stay with me."

"You have a one bedroom apartment. And one bed. That the red head just stayed in, judging by how new that bruise is," Natalie smiled.

This time Adam rolled his eyes.

Natalie and Adam had been friends forever. And while they were almost an entire country away from each other most of the time, they knew everything about each other. Well, except for what they just told one another.

"What are you going to do while you're out here?"

"I was thinking of working on my tan," she replied.

He nodded. "You _are_ looking kind of pale. Don't get much sunshine in the Windy City, eh?"

"You're _so_ funny, Adam," Natalie replied.

"I'm serious about staying with me, Natalie," Adam told her.

She cocked her head. "Fine, I'll check out of my hotel and stay with you."

"Good," Adam said. "And I have a couple ladies I'd like you to talk to while you're in town. Your perspective might help them out," Adam said as they stood and headed back to the hospital.

…

Author's note: let me know what you think! Thanks!

Disclaimer: I don't own anything related to Red Band Society. I _do_ wish it wasn't cancelled.


End file.
